Minn. zoo euthanizes ailing Kodiak bear Trouble spelled trouble for Phoebe, a 28-year-old Kodiak brown bear. But what gave her bigger problem was her poor health. Phoebe, who lived nearly her entire life at Lake Superior Zoo in Duluth, Minn., was euthanized Tuesday after struggling for seven months with arthritis, said Dr. Louise Beyea, the zoo’s veterinarian. “The staff was concerned about being able to maintain her quality of life at an acceptable lev...

Zoning commission must listen to all residentsDear Editor As much as I appreciate Neal Cooper’s attention to his civic duty (Letters to the Editor; Jan. 21), there are a few items I think require correcting. The Planning and Zoning Commission is established in the Kodiak Island Borough Code Chapter 2.105 and its members are appointed by the mayor (not elected, as Mr. Cooper says). Its responsibilities (too numerous to mention here) are outlined in Chapter 2.1...

Levels of halibut bycatch unacceptableHalibut is on the table, but unfortunately not for dinner. Halibut bycatch is a topic of heated discussion at meetings of both the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) and the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (the council) in coming weeks. The IPHC meets in Vancouver British Columbia from Jan. 27-30, and will set the catch limits in the directed halibut fisheries in Alaska and British Columbia. ...

P&Z moves date of next meeting for bigger venueThe Kodiak Island Borough Planning and Zoning Commission voted to move the planned special meeting to hear from citizens about proposed changes to several sections of borough code from Jan. 28 to Feb. 4 The move was to take advantage of a larger venue after hundreds attended the last meeting on Jan. 12 and overflowed out of the borough assembly chambers and into the hall. The meeting will take place at the Gerald ...

Achievers: Jan. 22Dominic Roy M Barcelon is on the Dean’s List at Northwood University’s Florida campus for the fall term of the 2014-2015 year. To make the Dean’s List, students have to earn at least a 3.25 grade point average for the term.

Stage and Screen: 'The Imitation Game' is the real thing“The Imitation Game” (2014) — so much to say — so little space in which to say it. Most films offer only one, perhaps two, layers of storyline. By my count there are at least five layers of storyline imbedded in this remarkable motion picture. The most obvious layer being the ground-breaking British project to crack the apparently impregnable WWII German Enigma Code. The Enigma Code allowed Germany to transmit com...

Local ADF&G advisory panel takes stance on game proposalsThe Kodiak Fish and Game advisory committee voted at a Wednesday meeting to either oppose or support several proposed changes to hunting and trapping regulations in Kodiak. Proposal 142 that will be presented before the Board of Game meeting in mid-March would limit the bag limit for nonresidents in unit eight, which is the entire Kodiak archipelago, from three deer of either sex to two antlered deer for the Aug. ...

KHS wrestling entertains West Anchorage, BartlettKodiak wrestling fans will not be left in the dark this season. With the chances of wrestling at home this season getting dim, coach Pat Costello turned the light back on by persuading a pair of teams to come to the island. And it couldn’t have come any sooner. In the final week of the regular season, Kodiak will entertain West Anchorage and Bartlett Friday and Saturday at Kodiak High School. “The season is so jum...